Reminder of who's in charge

April 16, 2013

April snow storms, of course, are not entirely rare at all in North Dakota, but they are certainly frustrating and deflating to everyone living in the state. After making it through four or five months of winter, we generally think we're safe from large snow storms come April. Often we are reminded of the power of Mother Nature, and the obvious disregard for the wishes of the state's residents.

The latest storm dumped more than six inches of snow on the Minot area, but it broke several records in Bismarck, which was buried under a record 17.3 inches of snow. The Legislature was canceled Monday, state Capitol offices opened late, and most schools in the Bismarck area were canceled or began classes late. No-travel advisories were issued for most of North Dakota on Sunday, many roads across the state were closed for a time, reopening Monday morning or late Sunday night.

The weekend storm was a not-so-friendly reminder that winter isn't quite over yet, and that it's not yet time to hang up the snow shovels and snowblowers for the season. We only hope the winter blast doesn't have too great a negative impact on areas already dealing with potential spring flooding, even on a small scale.